Improvement in farm-gates



UNITED STATES PATENT OTEICE MARTIAT HUMES, OF BUSHNELL, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF vHIS l RIGHT TO EZRA E. GHESNEY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN ,FARM-GATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 146,678, dated January20, 1874 application filed August 27, 1873.

rounded lower edgeof the top bar of the gate.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each ligure.

My invention' has for its object the construe! tion and adaptation of afence-gate in such a manner as will admit of its easy and convenient useby the passer, whether he approaches on foot, upon horseback, or in acarriage; and to this end it consists in so making and adj ustin g thegate that it will slide horizontally upon rollers; and in making theupper or bearing bar of the gate with an incline from, its longitudinalcenter toward either end, and in rounding the under side of the bar, sothat the movements of` the rgate on this side as a bearing shall besmooth and sure upon the channeled rollers; and in notching the upperbar, `so that when the gate is shut it shall fall into these notches andlessen, in a great measure, the concussion of the gate upon the post inclosing it; and in the arrangement of the rollers in and over which thetop rail moves in the several posts on different horizontal lines, so asto enable the double-beveled rail to move automatically, in part, whenthe gate is being opened or closed; A and in the general detail of theconstruction and arrangement of the several parts, whereby the device ismade to operate easily and successfully.

The gate is shown by A in the drawing. It is made in general in anyordinary or suitable `manner. The rails a and A, or body portion of thegate, are sustained at the ends by the standards A, and the gateotherwise strengthened by cross bars or braces in the usual way. The topbar A extends a little distance beyond the forward end of the gate,while at the cline.

channeled roller C, pivoted in the top of the post B. The posts B, B',and B are set in the ground in the usual manner. The part of this barwhich constitutes the upper rail of the gate has upon its under surfacea double in- This commences at a point, a, about the longitudinal centerof the gate, and the inclines therein extend to the ends of the gate.The under edge a of this bar is rounded for its entire length. As thebar constitutes the horizontal bearing of the gate, and nds its supportor rests upon the channeled rollers C, pivoted in the top part of theposts orstandards B, B', and B.- This rounded edge lts close upon saidrollers, and enables the gate to be easily and surely moved back andforth. In the under edge of the top bar, at such points as shallcorrespond to the distance between the rollers in the posts B and B ateither end ofthe gate, are notches D. The oiiice of these notches is toform seats,`into which the gate falls when it is closed.. These seatsserve as stops to arrest the motion of the closing gate, and preventnearly all concussion upon the side or end posts, and are of verymaterial advantage in thus saving strain on these posts;

at the same time the rests are so easy that they do not in the leastoffer resistance to the force put forth to open the gate.

By this construction, also, the gate can never warp, or drag, or sagdown,A but will have always, and at all points, a sure support.

Upon a post, E, fixed in the ground at any suitable distance from thegate, is another channeled'roller or pulley, C. Upon and over thispasses the rope F, one end of `which is fastened to the top rail or barA of the gate, at the point of its greatest vertical depth, from whenceit extends to and passes between the two channeled rollers c', which arepivoted vertically in the clip o, placed upon the top or upper part ofthe end post B; or i these rollers may be adjusted and` iixed in anyother convenient manner for the same pinpose. pulled with a quick shortmotion by the person approaching, force enough is communicated to thegate to cause it to move upon the When the free end of the rope is nowrounded under edge ot' the top bar over the roller C in the post B,while the under edge of the extended arm bears against the upper' rollerC in the post B until the central point of this portion of the barpasses the roller in B', when the momentum causes the gate to move uponrollers C G in posts B B home to the outer post B, and leave the waybetween the gateposts B and B wide open. rlhis can be done when it isdesired to drive a carriage through the gate; but when the gate is to beopened t'or a pedestrian, an easy pull upon the string will bring thegate just half open, and it will then rest upon its arm on the roller inpost B, and upon the top bar on roller in post B and eau be shut by handby the person after he has passed through. rEhe post E on the oppositeside is located, constructed, and equipped in like manner, and theoperation of the gate ou that side is similar to that just described.

It will be seen that I have arranged the roller in the central post Bsomewhat below the level of the horizontal line from the rollers inposts B and B, and this arrangement ena bles me to accomplisheiteetually the motion and the results I have just now deseribed. I havealso provided eyes, or an y suitable means, at G, in the tops ofthevertical posts or standn ards in the ends of the gate. 'lo these I mayattach the ends of a single oord, by means oi which I can open the gateby one continuous pull. The looped end oi this rope, hanging down fromthe roller or pulley in the top ot the post E or id', can be pulleduntil the gate is set wide open, and by a like movement the gate can beolosed.

I intend by this speeieation to cover both these means for operating thegate, as one is almost identical with the other.

In constructing or setting up my device, I do notv always use threeposts. In some instances, I find it very convenient to use, instead ot'post B, suitable standards affixed to the fenee, and so adjusted and puttogether as to answer every end and purpose I have new set out for thepost B. In some instances, it may be found ot' advantage to lool( thegate by means ot' a pin thrust through a hole above the roller C in postB. 'This will bind down the projeeting forward end of the top bar, sothat the noteh D will engage upon the roller, and thus the gate will belightly and securely closed.

By my invention, I have provided a device that will open upon itsbea-ring without swing ing to either side., and can be pulled upon orshut in a direet line without any sidewise or angular motion, and thatwill operate with the least possible friction. It requires so littleforce that a woman or ehild even ean manipulate it with ease, while,when Closed, it cannot be opened by beast or cattle.

` Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits of my invention,what I claim as new 1s- Y Y l. The gate A, having the top bar or,bearing rail A double-inclined on its under side, as described, andcombined with the posts B, B', and B, having the rollers (l C C and C,arranged as set forth.

2. The gate A, with its exten ded top rail A double-inclined on itsunder side, and adapted to be moved upon and over the rollers C C C, andprovided with the looking notches or in d entations D, snbstantiall y`as and for the pui14 pose set forth.

The post E and pulley C", cord F, and pivoted rollers c, combined withthe gate A, constructed as described, and operating in the posts B, Band B, and upon therollers C C G, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this27th day of August, 1873.

MARTIN HUMES.

Vs'itnesses GEO. S. IRINDLE, lnn. F. BnowN.

